Fake surety racket in Mumbai: Three held after second FIR lodged

A senior crime branch officer said the three persons were arrested for allegedly creating forged documents such as salary slips and standing as surety for an accused, Sanjay Sharma, in a case registered by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW).

After the FIR was lodged — the second in the case — the crime branch arrested three persons on Tuesday. (Representational)

NEARLY TWO months after the Mumbai Crime Branch busted a fake surety racket, where fraudsters provided forged documents to a court as surety, the metropolitan magistrate court has submitted a formal complaint to the police in this regard, following which an FIR was lodged on Tuesday.

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After the FIR was lodged — the second in the case — the crime branch arrested three persons on Tuesday. Two other courts, where forged documents were submitted as surety — to agree to be legally responsible if another person fails to pay a debt or to perform a duty — are likely to submit a formal complaint to the police in the next few days. In all, police said such forged documents had been submitted in 31 courts.

A senior crime branch officer said the three persons were arrested for allegedly creating forged documents such as salary slips and standing as surety for an accused, Sanjay Sharma, in a case registered by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW).

Court 19 at the Esplanade court had granted bail to Sharma in the EOW case after four persons appeared as surety for him and supplied alleged forged documents.

In an order on December 14, the court directed its judicial clerk to approach the Azad Maidan police and file a complaint. Three of the four accused who appeared as surety for Sharma were arrested.

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“We are also investigating how much Sharma knew about the forged documents and are likely to name him as an accused,” an officer said. The court also issued a non-bailable warrant against Sharma.
The crime branch busted the surety racket in October.